Key Points
- Sky News has expanded its partnership with the Washington Post’s Arc XP to develop a new video-focused website and mobile application scheduled to launch by the end of 2027.
- The platforms will incorporate personalized recommendations, video programming and artificial intelligence-powered search tools.
- The agreement is part of Sky News 2030, a five-year strategy to modernize the broadcaster’s digital operations and develop new revenue opportunities.
Comcast’s international news channel Sky News is planning a redesigned digital platform with a new smartphone app serving as the cornerstone of its online experience as part of an expanded partnership with the Washington Post’s technology business Arc XP, the companies announced this week.
The deal builds on a partnership that started last November, which saw Sky News integrate Arc XP into various existing products and newsroom workflows. Moving forward, the news channel plans to expand its use of Arc XP by launching a new mobile app, website and other digital-first products, which are rooted in its ongoing transformation strategy called Sky News 2030.
Under the expanded arrangement, Arc XP will provide the underlying technology for Sky News’ redesigned website and application, with an emphasis on video programming, personalized content recommendations and tools that help viewers discover news coverage.
The platforms will also incorporate artificial intelligence capabilities, including Ask Sky News, a conversational search service developed through the companies’ existing partnership that allows users to find information from Sky News reporting. The Arc XP team will work with Sky News’ internal technology teams to develop the platforms using infrastructure supported by Amazon Web Services (AWS).
Sky News said the investment is intended to strengthen its direct relationships with audiences, increase engagement and create opportunities for premium subscriptions and other paid digital products. Video viewing through its existing mobile application has more than doubled over the past year, and its programming generated nearly 4.5 billion views across social media platforms this year.
“Today’s partnership will give audiences even more reasons to come directly to Sky News for a best-in-class, video-first experience,” said David Rhodes, the Executive Chairman of Sky News.
Matt Monahan, the President of Arc XP, said the partnership is intended to help news organizations retain audiences who increasingly discover stories through search engines and artificial intelligence-generated summaries rather than visiting publishers directly.
“More people now find news through AI summaries and search results instead of going to the newsroom that did the reporting,” Monahan said.
More than 2,000 global and local newsrooms now use Arc XP in some or all of their products, the companies said. Sky News has been one of the company’s premier partners as the global news channel evolves its operations with a digital-first strategy in mind.
Sky News programming is available through its domestic, commercial channel in the United Kingdom, a dedicated global feed called Sky News International and through on-demand platforms and podcasts.
Comcast is in the process of spinning out Sky Group, the parent company of Sky News, as part of the company’s broader separation from NBC Universal. That spin-out is expected to be complete in mid-2027.
